Aeroplane-clutch.



M. R. KENDALL.

AEROPLANE GLUTGH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, 1012.

1,059,372, Patented Apr. 22, 1913.

i7 l/fi 16' WITNESSES INVENTOR a I @Wzmh MARVIN R. KENISALL, OFIllI-IACLA, NEW. YORK.

AEROPLANE-CLUTCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 25, 1912. SerialaNo. 699,812.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, MARVIN R. KENDALL, a citizen of the United States,and residing at 814: North Cayuga street, Ithaca, in the county ofTompkinsand State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Aeroplaneclutches, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relatesto improvements in aeroplane clutches and isdesigned las a clutch and an actuating, means therefor, whereby theaeroplane propeller may be started and stopped at will at any timeduring the operating of the machine.

l/Vhile the primary object of the invention isto provide suchacontrolling device for use with aeroplanes, it should nevertheless beunderstood that the present improvements are claimed for use with otherthan aeroplane motors and in combination with any motor to which thesame is applicable.

Specifically, the object of the invention is to provide in combinationwith a motor clutch a means whereby an actuation of the clutch to aninoperative position, results in applyinga friction brakevto the thenunclutched propelling. member, such. as the propeller and conversely,operatingupon a setting of the power clutch to release said brake devicefrom the propeller.

With these objects in View and others that will appearas the nature ofthemventionis better understood, ,thesame consists of the novelcombination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully set forth,illustrated in the accompanying drawings 1 and pointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawings forming, part of this application and 1n WhlClll likenumerals of reference correspond t0-S1m1liLP the device, Fig. 2yis avertical transverse sectional viewtaken uponzline 2:2 of Fig.

is a plan View of said plate with the ele ments positioned as shown inFig. 8, and.

Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken upon line 6-6 ofFig. 1..

Referring more in detail to the drawings,

it will be noted that the power shaft 10 of the motor, not shown, is 1provided with a parts throughout the several views: Figure 1 1s avertical longitudinal sectlonal view of fly wheel 11, while said motoris adapted Patented Apr. 22,1913.

for operating the propelling blades 12, the

latter constituting the aeroplane propeller.

A general clutch mechanism for engaging and disengaging the hub 13 ofthe pro peller with the hub 14 of the fly wheel and power shaft is shownin detail in F 1g. 1.. Thls mechanismconslsts, as will be readilyundcrstood,of an annular bracket 15 rigidly secured in any desiredmanner to the propellcr hub13 and having its inner annular surfacecovered with leather as indicated as 16, Radial tubular bearings 17either integrally or otherwise mounted adjacent the inner end ofthepropeller hub 13 journaled therein the rods 18 each of which is suppliedwithl a segment shaped contact plate 19 adapted to be forced against theleather.

lining 16 by an engagemnt of the heads 20 upon the inner ends of said.rods wlth the conical surface 21 forming theinner endof.

the fly wheel hub 14.

The propeller hub 13 is preferably provided with an inner chamber 22 forreceiving the outer end ofthe propeller shaft 10, as well as positioningthe same upon antifriction ball members 23, while a longitudinalmovement of the propeller hub is made possible by the conical chamber 24in the inner end of. the propeller hub.

An annular groove 25 around the propeller hub provides for the looseengagement therewith of ameans or actuator whereby the propeller bladehub and the clutch car ried by the latter may be readily shiftedlongitudinally and so as to clutch up the propeller hub with the flywheel hub upon a movement inwardly exerted upon said propeller hub. Areverse movement of the propeller hub in an outward direction effects areleasing of said clutch and a consequent disengagement of the propellerhub from the.

flywheel hub.

The invention proper and comprisinga combined clutch actuator and brakewill now be descrlbed, the same being one that may rcadilybe employed inconnection with any motor and its driven or propelled rotor. Suitablypositioned with respect to the for manipulation in controlling theclutch, has a connecting link 29 pivoted to the brace strut 30 of theframe.

I propeller or driven hub is the actuating base plate 26 here shown asmounted upon suitable standards 27, while the rod 28 adapted 3 1110 Saidbase plate 26 has extending through a longitudinal slot 31 therein, aheaded pivot pin 32 which rigidly mounted upon the upper end ofsaid link29. Outwardly converging slots'33 being provided. through the plate 26slightly in advance and uponeither side of the slot 31, accommodateroller bearing pins or bolts 34 extending through the outer ends of eachof two actuating movable links 35, the other ends of each of said linksbeing pivoted'to' Positioned upon opposite arms are linked by the bolts34 heretofore described.

Assuming the propeller in clutch with the motor, an inward pull exertedupon the clutch rod 28 operates through the mechanism described to forcethe propeller hub 13 outwardly, thus releasing its clutch from the flywheel hub 14, while simultaneously therewith, the arms 36 are forcedinwardly upon the propeller shaft and by their frictional contacttherewith retard the velocity of its: rotation due to the momentum ofthe blades,

The arms 36 then assuming the position shown in Fig. 2, itis evidentthat an outward push exerted upon the clutch rod 28 will force the 5links 35 inwardly causing a similar move-f ment to said arms which isalso accompanied i by a separation thereof due .to the action of; theslots 33 and thus resulting in a releasing of the arms 36 from. thepropeller hub .1 and a clutching up of the same with the fly; wheel hub14. It will thus be apparent that 5 a stopping and starting of thepropeller from the seat of the aeroplane is readily ac- Q complishedwithout requiring any cessation j in the running of the motor.

While the forms of the invention herein Copies of this patent may beobtainfid for shown and described are what are believed H to bepreferable embodiments thereof, it is nevertheless to be understood thatminorchanges may be made in the matter of form, proportion and minordetails of construction without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention as set forth in the appended claims'.

-Having thus fully described my invention and in what manner the same isdesigned for use, what "I' desire to protect and secure by I LettersPatent of the United States is 5- 1 1. A device of the class described,com; prising a wheel hub,-a base plate having con-' verging slots and alongitudinal slot thereinf roller pins within said converging slots, op-

posite arms pi'vo'tedupon said pins and adapted for movement into andout of engagement with said wheel hub, apin projecting throughsaid-longitudinal slot, links connecting said pin and said rollerpins,and means for moving said pin lengthwise of said longitud-inalslot.

2 A device of prising a driving member, a'driven member, clutch memberspositioned therebetween, a base plate having, converging slots .andjalongitudinal slot therein, roller pins within theiclass describedcomsaid converging slots, oppositely-positioned arms pivoted upon saidpins adapted for actuating said clutch members, said arms v movableintofrictional engagement with said driven member, a pin pro ect1ng' throughsaid longitudinal slot, links connecting said pin and said roller pins,and I five cents each, by addressing the commissioner of -PatentsiWashington D. C. I

